“Partnerships in Literacy through Dance & Creativity©” is a New York City-based Pre-Kindergarten to 5th grade interdisciplinary dance program consisting of 16 lessons over 16 weeks deemed “a national model” by the National Endowment for the Arts. The evidence-based program is grounded in the NYC DOE’s Blueprint for Teaching & Learning in the Arts that Mark DeGarmo, PhD contributed to as a dance company director, choreographer, and educator.
PLEASE NOTE: We are available for in-person programming for summer 2023 and the 2023-24 school year.
The program aims to level the playing field for New York City Title I public school students by providing an arts program that the most privileged students receive. Research shows that 1-7% of USA elementary students receive an in-school dance program, such as ours.
Mark DeGarmo Dance (AKA Dynamic Forms, Inc.) has been a NYC DOE contracted vendor for arts education programs since 1988. President Barack Obama commended MDD for "your contribution to your communities and the nation.” Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer declared Nov. 17, 2017 “Mark DeGarmo Dance Day in Manhattan.” Miss America 2019 Nia Imani Franklin endorsed our program in 2019 and attended our annual April Dance for Dance community event on the Lower East Side at which our students performed.
Watch a sample video of our work:
For more information:
https://markdegarmodance.org/education.
I. SERVICES - MDD will provide:
A. Five 45-minute professional development meetings for participating classroom teacher(s) with MDD's
teaching artist.
B. One 16-week interdisciplinary dance program for 1 to 3 classrooms, which consists of:
a. 15 lessons led by a teaching artist to be carried out over 15, not necessarily consecutive weeks.
(There is flexibility in the number of weeks, but not the number of lessons, depending on the school's
schedule.)
b. A final sharing at the completion of the program, serving as the 16th week or lesson.
II. MDD's School Partner will provide:
A. Administrative and logistical assistance to run the program.
B. At least 1 certified classroom teacher to be present & collaboratively teaching for all of the teaching artist's prek to grade 5 lessons.
C. A cleared, clean, open space (preferably not in the regular classroom) and a time dedicated for each dance lesson and professional development meeting to take place on school
property OR in a live online space/platform for lessons/meetings to take place virtually.
D. The classroom teachers will facilitate the dance journal writing portion of the program, estimated to
take a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes after each dance lesson. (MDD will provide the online link for the dance journals and prompts.)
E. Participation in MDD’s fundraising efforts to sustain the program, such as, dedicating financial support through school and PTO funds and grants writing; and providing testimonials and letters of support.
